And her production company, Paper Kite Productions, is responsible for hit series including Broad City and Russian Doll. Gilda Radner, Jan Hooks, and Danitra Vance all succumbed to cancer, and Phil Hartman was shot to death by his wife. Sometimes they appear in great films I remember watching 12 Years A Slave and seeing, randomly, Taran Killam holding down a small supporting role. Murphy was working as a stand-up comedian and an extra on SNL when producers poached him to fill a gap in the show one night. Also read:Robert Downey Jr. Is Forbes Top-Earning Actor With $75 Million, The top ranking woman on the list is Joan Cusack, who came in at No. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. The show, which he cocreated and costarred in with Carrie Browstein, earned him, Samberg started asa writer on the show before earning a full cast position, but he's best known for his musical act, During his time on SNL, Samberg also starred or appeared in films like "Hot Rod,", Since 2013, Samberg has played the lead rolein Fox's award-winning comedy crime series, parody character of late-1980s TV secret agent. Ourlist includes living SNL alumniwho've achievedsignificant commercial success in Hollywood, whether infilm, television, or both. More recently, Spade hosted the 2019 Comedy Central show Lights Out with David Spade. Will Ferrell breathed new life into SNL during his seven years on the series. Although she appeared in a number of sketches, she was best known as Jimmy Fallons co-anchor on Weekend Update. Stillers star continued to rise in the late 1990s and 2000s, thanks to films like Theres Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander. Later this year, hell join Bill Murray in the latest Ghostbusters film. To date, Fey has won eight Emmy awards, two Golden Globes, and authored, "Blow Your Pants Off," earned hima Grammy for best comedy album.
11 by earning $2.81 billion over 48 movies, with the biggest chunk of change coming from Toy Story 3.. Since leaving SNL for Hollywood,he's starred alongside Amy Schumer in the box-office hit "Trainwreck," lent his voice to, Jason Sudeikis started as a writer on SNL in 2003, and within two years he became a featured cast member. As we all know, Fallons talent led to much greater things. (In one, he infamously mocked Eddie Murphy's declining actingcareer. Also, I didnt even look into the impact SNL has had on the small screen. During his three-year tenure on SNL (1990-1993), Chris Rock was known for recurring characters like the militant talk show host Nat X and his fictional public access show Im Chillin. After acting in a slew of films "Baby Mama," "Date Night," and "Megamind," to name a few she moved on to write and produce her Netflix hit "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." But we can have a lot more fun with this. Chris Pratt will host and Ariana Grande is the musical guest. Kind of a mixed bag here, Lorne. On balance, this has been a bad thing! Today, hes SNLs biggest success story. During her tenure, she also starred with Ferrell in the SNL-produced favorite "Night at the Roxbury.". In early 2015, he created and has since been starring in the post-apocalyptic Fox comedy series "The Last Man On Earth," which was nominated for four Emmy Awards, including two for Forte for writing and acting. David Spade joined SNL as a writer in 1990. ", The critically acclaimed actorearnedan Emmy award in 2015 for his supporting role in HBO's miniseries "Olive Kitteridge," an Academy Award nomination for "Lost In Translation," and a Golden Globe nomination for his 2014 film, "St. He was soon cast and credited with the revival of the show, which was suffering amid the five-year absence of creator Lorne Michaels. Samberg even scored a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Dick in a Box, his hilarious duet with Justin Timberlake. Bill Murray joined SNL in 1977 following the departure of Chevy Chase, and remained until 1980. During his tenure, Ferrell nailed impressions of "Jeopardy!" Coming in third place was was Robert Downey Jr., who was a cast member for only the 1984-1985 season. ", Spade also just released his first book, a memoir entitled, By thelate '90s, Rock was a fixture in the stand-up scene.
She has since had parts in major projects like the Despicable Me series and Wonder Woman 1984. Aykroyds post-SNL success include co-founding The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and co-writing Ghostbusters. In addition, some films released before 1984 are not included because accurate figures from the studios were not available., In This Article: But his most notable role was as co-anchor of Weekend Update. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Murphy who starred on SNL from 1980 to 1984 might be best known for his string of hit 80s comedies, which included Coming to America and 48 Hours, but much of his box office earnings came from the, Saturday Night Live Celebrates Season 40 With Airings of Iconic Episodes, Eddie Murphy Is Hollywoods Most Overpaid Actor on Forbes List, Robert Downey Jr. Is Forbes Top-Earning Actor With $75 Million. But we certainly remember her post-SNL years when she played Elaine Benes on Seinfeld. At No. Up next for Louis-Dreyfus: a multi-year deal to executive produce and star in exclusive projects for Apple TV+. Through it all, he joined the SNL Five-Timers Club by returning as a host on seven different occasions. Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. Given that the show has endured for almost 45 years, the comedy has not always been consistently funny. But he eventually found a middle ground and in 2019, he received a Golden Globe nomination for the film Dolemite Is My Name. Adam Sandler (2)
Sign up for our newsletter. He was also a stand-up superstar. On that note, some films are definitively SNL movies Coneheads has a whopping 14 alumni participating, the most in the set. He also starred in the hit sketch, The Californians. History has proven that exposure from the iconic sketch comedy show can lead to fame, fortune, and a seat in the pantheon of great comics. Forte is set to appear in Adam Sandler's Netflix film, Post SNL, Poehler quickly settled into the characterof Leslie Knope in, recently returned toher role as the eccentric summer-camp theater counselor in Netflix's reprisal of, Rudolph's repertoire of impersonationsranged fromDestiny's Child-era Beyonc to, Rudolph has actedin a slew of television shows and films since leaving SNL, including indie dramedy "The Way, Way Back," "Inherent Vice,""Grown Ups" (as the wife of fellow SNL alum Chris Rock's character), and, During her tenure at SNL, Fey wrote and costarred in the hit movie "Mean Girls. Source: Drazen_ / E+ via Getty Images 45. She often teamed up with fellow cast member Kristen Wiig to deliver outrageous original characters, like the models for theSuper Showcase Jeopardy sketches. He also starred in the 2020 Netflix comedy The Wrong Missy. She had undeniable chemistry with her fellow cast members, especially Tina Fey, who she acted with in the blockbuster favorite "Mean Girls" while the two were still on SNL. The verdict? Front row: Chris Farley, Al Franken, Melanie Hutshell. She continued to co-host with Fallons replacement Amy Poehler until 2006, at which point she bid adieu to SNL to develop 30 Rock.
Murphy is followed by Avenger Robert Downey Jr. (31), waterboy Adam Sandler (25), Wes Anderson muse Bill Murray (23) and known asshole Chevy Chase (also 23). The sketch turned into a, When she left the showin 2001,Shannon had a rolein the comedy "Wet Hot American Summer,"which she reprised for Netflix's 2015reboot. 2022 Rolling Stone, LLC. To date, she has directed two Netflix films: Wine Country (2019) and Moxie (2021). She also starred in the short-lived TV series "Kath and Kim"from 2008 to 2009, and most recently she lent her voice to Adam Sandler's hit "Hotel Transylvania" animated-filmfranchise. The series ran for seven seasons and boasts 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, a Golden Globe nomination for Best TV Series Music or Comedy, and a Golden Globe win for Poehler (Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy).
In 2004, he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Sofia Coppolas Lost in Translation. This December, Netflix will release "Ridiculous 6," the first of four original films Sandler is producing and likely starring in exclusively for the streaming service. as well as other partner offers and accept our, a visit from Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and the upcoming, and Mike Meyers to Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon, we've rounded. Indeed, two films he starred in made the top-reviewed films in the set, the rad This Is Spinal Tap and Best in Show. And lot of SNL alumni have gone on to star in some really good movies. By thelate '90s, Rock was a fixture in the stand-up scene. To date, Fey has won eight Emmy awards, two Golden Globes, and authored a New York Times bestselling autobiography. He also starred in the hit sketch, During his tenure at SNL, Hader had supporting roles in several hit comedies like "Superbad," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and "Tropic Thunder." From 2005 to 2012, Nealon played the role of Doug Wilson on Showtime's award-winningcomedy "Weeds. Since SNL,Wiighas madeHollywood home, starring in comedichits like "Bridesmaids" and "Anchorman 2" and indie dramas "Adventureland," "The Skeleton Twins," and "Girl Most Likely." Since leaving SNL, Ferrell has become a fixture in Hollywood comedy. After the second time Parnell got fired from the show in 2006due to budget cuts, heappeared in films like "Hot Rod," "Labor Pains," "21 Jump Street," and "Five-Year Engagement." That same year, he signed on as host of, Tracy Morgan was a cast memberon SNLfor seven years, where heestablished recurring character, Molly Shannon found her place at SNL as Mary Katherine Gallagher, the awkward Catholic school student who wantedto be a superstar. Sandler was arguably the messiah of the "Bad Boys of SNL" a troupe of comedically brash, trouble-making cast members of the early '90s that included Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, and the late Chris Farley.
From 1980 to 1984, Eddie Murphy was known for parodies of Gumby, the Little Rascals Buckwheat, and Mr. Rogers (as Mr. Robinson) on SNL. Schneider also starred in a slew of cult favorites: "The Hot Chick," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," and "The Benchwarmers."
During his tenure at SNL, Hader had supporting roles in several hit comedies like "Superbad," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and "Tropic Thunder." The Saturday Night Live Season 18 cast. 2022 ABC News Internet Ventures. Aside from his fame from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his recent films include Dolittle (2020) and the upcoming comedy All-Star Weekend, directed by Jamie Foxx. Shelater admitted to having a hard time on set since she didn't have her own writer or any comedic direction. In 2006, Morgan joined the cast of Tina Fey's NBC sitcom "30 Rock," where he played Tracy Jordan, a parody of himself, and was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor. The majority of his $3.9 billion came from his Marvel movies, which include three Iron Man films and The Avengers, which became one of the highest grossing films of all time. The comedian also received a star on the Walk of Fame this year. During his tenure on SNL, Sudeikis starred in hit comedies "The Campaign," "Hall Pass," "The Bounty Hunter," "We're the Millers," and both "Horrible Bosses" films. He immediately enjoyed a successful film career, starring in classic comedies like Caddyshack, National Lampoons Vacation, and Three Amigos. She won a Golden Globe for the role in 2014. Fey returned to SNL in 2008 to impersonate Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, which earned her an Emmy. Sandler also worked with Kevin Nealon eight times and David Spade six times. Murray also wrote for the show and won an Emmy for outstanding writing. In addition to two movies, it also led tothree albums and, wrote and starred in "Ghostbusters" (and will reprise his role for the 2016 remake) andwon an Academy Award for his supporting role in the 1989 film "Driving Miss Daisy. ", Post SNL, Poehler quickly settled into the characterof Leslie Knope inNBC'sEmmy-nominatedhit "Parks and Recreation." ", Post SNL, Sandler created Happy Madison Productions in honor of two of his greatest hits, "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison" which is responsible for numerousblockbusters starring Sandler, including "Anger Management," "Click," "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," "Just Go With It," and "Grown Ups." Chevy Chase joined SNL in its first season back in 1975; he was also the first anchor of Weekend Update. He voiced Donkey in all four of the DreamWorks movies, with Shrek 2 earning $550 million alone. After leaving the show, he found instant success by teaming up with Chris Farley for Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. After leaving SNL, Armisen continued working on the IFC sketch comedy series "Portlandia." If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. He's found success in television, where he had a guest role on "30 Rock" and acted in ABC sitcom "Suburgatory," and he's also landed voice-acting roles in both"Hotel Transylvania" films, PBS' "WordGirl," and as a lead character in FX's action-comedy "Archer.".
(In one, he infamously mocked Eddie Murphy's declining actingcareer. But comedy will always be her first loveher most recent film, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, was named one of the best films of 2021 by the Hollywood Reporter. Since 2013, Samberg has played the lead rolein Fox's award-winning comedy crime series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," for which he won the Golden Globe for best actor in 2014. This December, he's set to starin Sandler's Netflix original. Murphy cleaned up his act starting in the late 1990s, making family-friendly films like the Nutty Professor and Dr. Dolittle. The film earned nominations for a Golden Globe Award (Best Actress Motion Picture Comedy or Musical) and Academy Award (Best Original Screenplay). Murphy was a box office draw in the 1980s, starring in hits like 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop. Parnell was said to be an expert at keeping it together, even when the rest of his castmates were laughing during sketches. She also found time tolend her voice to several animated roles, including Nickelodeon's "The Mighty B!" After appearing in a few Hollywood comedies like "Rock of Ages," "That's My Boy," and "The Watch" and acting in a guest role on "30 Rock," Forte transitioned to drama, with leading roles in critically acclaimed films "Run & Jump" and "Nebraska." Aykroyd also starred alongside Murphy in the 1983 hit Trading Places, which grossed $88 million in the U.S. alone. John Belushi and Chris Farley, both known for their energetic comedy style, died from drug overdoses. Theres a ton of talent, but it doesnt always come together. His most recent project is a starring role in the TBS comedy The Last O.G. He also executive producedthe Emmy-nominated CW series"Everybody Hates Chris"for five years and continues to work in production, most recently directing Amy Schumer's first HBO comedy special. "Marie Antoinette," and "Me and Earl and theDying Girl."
After spending nine seasons on the sketch comedy show, Nealon has appeared in a number of Adam Sandler productions, including "Anger Management," "Little Nicky,""Just Go With It," and "Blended." I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Eddie Murphy (1) He was also a writer on the show for two years. Sandler is by far the most consistent when it comes to working with other folks. On Saturday, Oct. 11,1975, a sketch-comedy program debuted at 11:30 p.m. on NBC called Saturday Night Live. From the outset, the show became known for its edgy and topical humor, impressions of politicians, and performances from little-known comedians and performers. The show is responsible for some damn awful movies. Hundreds of people have made appearances. However, he shot to fame after leaving the series and returning to stand-up comedy in the latter half of the decade. A year after leaving SNL, Poehler struck gold with her NBC hit comedy Parks & Recreation.
Many viewers dont remember Julia Louis-Dreyfus SNL years (1982-1985) because she was in the same company as larger-than-life comic Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, and Martin Short. Fred Armisen has appeared in the second-most SNL sketches in the show's history, only trailing current cast member Keenan Thompson. Check out who has given us the most laughs on Saturday nights over the last four-plus decades, then find out how they capitalized on their popularity post-SNL. In 1997, Fey joined SNL as a writer and within two years became the show's first female head writer. Films that had at least one SNL alumnus have made an aggregate $88.3 billion, or $114.8 billion when you adjust for inflation to 2014 dollars. Myers created the most famous SNL character of the early '90s: Wayne Campbell, the rock-and-roll enthusiast who hosted a TV show called "Wayne's World" with his friend Garth, played by Dana Carvey. Amid the many movie stars that got their start at the late night sketch show, none of the sketch shows veterans found more fiscal success at the box office than Eddie Murphy. Here are the top 10 best-reviewed films with a former SNL player in the lead: Besides taking lead roles, some SNL performers found consistent work primarily in supporting roles, including Joan Cusack (20 supporting credits), David Koechner (19), Nora Dunn (17) and Bill Hader (16). Kristen Wiig served as an official cast member on SNL from 2006 until 2012, and audiences loved her fearlessness of looking foolish. He starred as Detective Jake Peralta in the hit series Brooklyn Nine-Nine the very next year and won a Golden Globe for the role in 2014. But his short stay didnt hurt his career. The movie has since become a cult classic. SNL is also where he first debuted the Coneheads, which later spawned a feature film. Another sketch that translated to the big screen:The Blues Brothers, which starred Aykroyd andthe lateJohn Belushi as a comedic musical duo. From celebrities' lives to your life, we have you covered. By the first measure, Eddie Murphy, by a mile, has been the most successful SNL alumni.
(co-created by comedian Jordan Peele). He also lent his voice to Academy Award-nominated films "Rio" and "The Boxtrolls.". Then, when available, I got the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score for all those films.1. (Be sure to check out Grantlands piece on the cultural impact of SNL for a much deeper discussion of this.). Aykroyd alsowrote and starred in "Ghostbusters" (and will reprise his role for the 2016 remake) andwon an Academy Award for his supporting role in the 1989 film "Driving Miss Daisy.". Here are the best-reviewed films in which someone from SNL plays second fiddle: Murray is the king of showing up in random places, appearing five times in small cameos, according to Opus Data credits. ", Academy Award-winning animated feature "Big Hero 6. Besides the usual Happy Madison suspects, there are other regular collaborators: Hader and Kristen Wiig appear together in eight films, Spade and Jon Lovitz in six. The comedianis nostranger to franchises. Rudolph has actedin a slew of television shows and films since leaving SNL, including indie dramedy "The Way, Way Back," "Inherent Vice,""Grown Ups" (as the wife of fellow SNL alum Chris Rock's character), and Academy Award-winning animated feature "Big Hero 6."
Next up, Rudolph will appear alongside Amy Poehler,Tina Fey, and current SNL cast member Kate McKinnon in "Sisters.". His second HBO comedy special "Bring The Pain" earned himtwo Emmy awards and three of his comedy albums have earned Grammy awards. He wrote. The sketch turned into a 1999 feature film, directed by SNL show runner Lorne Michaels and starring Shannon alongside Will Ferrell. According to a statement accompanying the article, the revenue inBusiness Weeks list wasadjusted for inflation and ranked ontotal inflation-adjusted box office receipts for their films original release. The list excludes films featuring actors who appear briefly as themselves or in uncredited roles. In a new infographic,Businessweekusesdata from Rentrak to calculate the top 25SNLveterans based on the gross revenue of their filmography. ", When JuliaLouis-Dreyfusstarted on SNL at age 21 she was theyoungest female cast member in the history of the show. During his time on SNL, Samberg also starred or appeared in films like "Hot Rod," "I Love You, Man," "Friends With Benefits," and "That's My Boy," which also featured fellow SNL alum Adam Sandler. Since 2012, Murphy was working as a stand-up comedian and an extra on SNL when producers, Post-SNL, Murphy dove into the Hollywood spotlight with starring roles in "Trading Places," the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, "The Nutty Professor," "Doctor Dolittle," "Daddy Day Care," and the voice of Donkey in the "Shrek" series. Evil in three "Austin Powers" films (a fourth is in development). The shows first comedy troupe called The Not Ready for Prime Time Players was composed of Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman, all of whom used the show to launch movie careers, with varying degrees of success. During her tenure at SNL, Fey wrote and costarred in the hit movie "Mean Girls." Major family-friendly projects include starring in The Cat in the Hat and serving as the voice of DreamWorks Shrek. Ferrell appeared in a number of comedies during his SNL years, but his film career exploded after leaving the show. Murphy played his most dramatic role to date in the 2006 critically acclaimed film, . Kevin Nealon notably manned theWeekend Update desk with ease,conviction, and plenty of hilarious stumbles, popularizing thecatchphrase "That's news to me!" Outside of film and TV, he co-founded the music venue House of Blues and founded the spirits company Crystal Head Vodka. ", Spade also just released his first book, a memoir entitled "Almost Interesting. Tracy Morgan appeared on SNL between 1996 and 2003, and theres no shortage of memorable characters he played during that time. Runners-up include Little Nicky (nine almuni), Dirty Work (seven) and Grown Ups 2 (seven), all of which are abysmal. You might remember him as one of the Gap Girls, or for any number of twerpy smart-ass characters he played so brilliantly. Audiences loved his celebrity impressions (Robert DeNiro, Barry Gibb) and characters like the obnoxious Boston teen Pat Sully Sullivan. When she left the showin 2001,Shannon had a rolein the comedy "Wet Hot American Summer,"which she reprised for Netflix's 2015reboot. he highest grossingof the 11 films that originated as SNL sketches. Armisen appeared numerous times as original character Garth one half of the musical duo "Garth and Kat," which made up songs on the spot for Weekend Update and as President Obama beginning in 2008. Out of all the comedy icons who launched their careers onSaturday Night Live, none have contributed more to the North American box office than Eddie Murphy, whohelped rake in $5.79 billion with his 38 films. Spade also continued starring in movies (Joe Dirt, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star) and performing stand-up throughout the 2000s. Click here to see the SNL alumni who had the most successful movie careers. His filmography includes classic 1980s comedies including Caddyshack, Tootsie, and Ghostbusters. I pulled the list of Saturday Night Live repertory and featured players, and grabbed their box-office histories from Opus Data. Parnell lasted eight seasons (and two firings) on SNL, making his mark withhilarious raps about celebrities, impressions, and his role in thedigital short "Lazy Sunday" with Andy Samberg. His greatest hits include "Old School," the "Anchorman" movies, "Talladega Nights," "Step Brothers," and "Elf," and he's gearing up to reprise his role in "Zoolander" in 2016. Following the popularity of two Waynes World feature films, Myers topped himself with the Austin Powers film series. The sketch spawned a movie (and later a sequel) that would become the highest grossingof the 11 films that originated as SNL sketches. He stuck to comedies in his earlier post-SNL years, churning out hits like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and The Waterboy. How about the best lead actors? But it was Waynes World, a sketch co-starring Dana Carvey, that made him a pop culture phenomenon. She won a second Emmy in 2020 in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series for her portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris on SNL. Maya Rudolph was plucked from the popular improv troupe the Groundlings and added to the SNL cast in 2000 as a featured player. Besides its iconic sketches, the NBC program is renowned for being a launching pad for comedians onto the big screen. But his most popular and beloved recurring role was Stefon,Weekend Update's flamboyant New York City correspondent. This December, he's set to starin Sandler's Netflix original"Ridiculous 6.". Here are the 24 most successfulSNL alumni (ordered from newest to oldest),what they did on the show, and what they're up to now: Seth Meyers was a fixture behind the scenes at SNL, where he was a writing supervisor and cohead writer with fellow cast member Tina Fey, who later credited him with writing her viral Sarah Palin impressions. Louis-Dreyfus acted in a few movies including "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" before landing her breakoutrole as Elaine on "Seinfeld," which she played for eight years.